My quick rating –Â 6.6/10. Happy Gilmore isn’t done with golf, not by a long shot. And as it turns out, neither is Adam Sandler. Happy Gilmore 2 is one of those rare late-arriving sequels that actually feels justified. Hollywood, for once, made the right call, reviving a beloved comedy instead of digging up something nobody asked for (thinking of you, Zoolander 2).
The plot is simple, and almost identical to the first, but with enough tweaks to keep it from feeling like a retread. Happy’s out of the game, living the retired life, but when his daughter wants to attend an elite ballet school, the man has to dust off the old hockey stick putter and raise the cash the only way he knows how: by smashing golf balls and pissing people off. There is a bit of a dark twist thrown in involving his wife, Virgina (Julie Bowen) and why he would even need to raise money. Somehow, Sandler finds a way to even make that funny. This time, however, the sport is under threat from a lunatic with marketing brain rot, a gingivitis-ridden maniac determined to turn the PGA Tour into some mutant hybrid of the XFL and vintage MTV.
The real strength of the sequel lies in its affection for the original. Sandler and co-writer Tim Herlihy clearly understand what made Happy Gilmore a classic in the first place: crude humor with heart, ridiculous physical comedy, and that underdog charm. There’s no shortage of callbacks, cameos, and surprise returning faces — some even literally pulled from the first movie via flashbacks. The fight scene in the cemetery between Happy and Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald, still chewing scenery like it’s 1996) might be the most nostalgia-fueled moment of all, delivering pure chaotic energy that’ll leave longtime fans grinning.
The celebrity cameos are a mixed bag, but fun. John Daly shows up and looks like he wandered onto the set from a completely different movie, which, frankly, fits perfectly. Steve Buscemi’s brief role is a highlight, weird and wonderful as expected. And yes, Eminem is in this, though ignore that lazy Men’s Journal article calling him “a fellow golfer.” He’s actually the grown son of the original “Jackass” heckler from the first film, a clever nod that will go over the heads of anyone who didn’t rewatch the original. (I may or may not have corrected the author on Twitter.)
Sandler, as usual, makes it a family affair — his wife Jackie and daughters Sadie and Sunny all get roles. It’s sweet, even if the “Gilmore sons” felt like an afterthought, mostly echoing their dad’s old catchphrases with less bite. Still, Sandler himself seems in on the joke more than ever. Half the fun is watching that sly grin creep across his face, like he can’t believe he’s still pulling this off.
Unfortunately, the film doesn’t fully stick the landing. The third act detour into “Maxi Golf” — a gaudy, exaggerated rival league poking fun at LIV Golf — is where things nearly come off the rails. The idea had potential, but the execution felt like a bad SNL skit that wouldn’t end. Thankfully, the movie speeds through it fast enough to avoid completely derailing the good vibes.
All in all, Happy Gilmore 2 is way better than it has any right to be. It doesn’t reinvent anything, and it doesn’t need to. It’s silly, sentimental, and full of familiar laughs. While the back end stumbles, the first hour and a half is such a fun ride that I was willing to round up. Not quite a hole-in-one, but a solid birdie for Sandler and the gang.
This one went directly to Netflix. If need be, Amazon has the original classic for you.